Jumpstart grant boosts PISE programs

A grant from the 2017 Parasport Jumpstart Fund will provide a boost to programs at the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence.

The grant, totalling $8,450, will help support PISE’s adapted programs that include Active Development, Teen Community Connections and Power Physical Literacy. Each year these weekly programs impact approximately 50 children with a disability.

The Parasport Jumpstart Fund – a joint program between Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and the Canadian Paralympic Committee – creates opportunities for sport and play for children with disabilities.

“Our team is so grateful to Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and the Canadian Paralympic Committee for supporting our adapted programs this year,” said PISE CEO Robert Bettauer. “Children of all abilities deserve to play, be active and enjoy physical literacy enriched programs. The skills the children develop combined with the special connection with our staff help them on their journey towards leading healthy and active lives.”

Bettauer says PISE could not provide these programs with the support of the community and organizations like Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities – a national charity dedicated to helping kids overcome financial and accessibility barriers to sport and recreation, in order to provide inclusive play for kids of all abilities.

“Since 2005, Jumpstart has been committed to removing financial barriers to sport and recreation, helping more than 1.4 million kids, who otherwise couldn’t afford to play, get in the game,” said Marco Di Buono with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. “We are proud to expand on this mandate through programs like the Parasport Jumpstart Fund, which create greater opportunities for sport and play for children with disabilities.”

He said Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities understands that for kids, the opportunity to play is about much more than getting active: sports teach important life skills like courage, confidence and teamwork, and the opportunity to learn and grow through sport should be accessible to kids of all abilities.

PISE reaches 5,000 children each year, most of them through funded programs that provide opportunity to kids who can’t access quality physical activity programs. The organization received charitable status this year and is currently running its first campaign to raise funds to help reach more children because all kids deserve to play. More information can be found at pise.ca/donate.